December 5, 2025Open Access

South Africans' social views: 'the real state-of-the-nation indicators?

Key Points

Political attitudes have negatively shifted, contrasting mixed changes in interpersonal attitudes.
Attitudes towards foreign nationals have not progressed as some other social views, like those on LGBTQI.
The analysis is based on surveys from the South African Social Attitudes Survey.
These trends highlight important societal dynamics and different underlying factors affecting views.

Abstract

Since 2003, the political, social and sociocultural views of people living in South Africa have undergone significant shifts. The biggest change has been a negative shift in political attitudes, while progress in relation to interpersonal attitudes is mixed. Indicators on LGBTQI views, for example, have become more progressive, but the same is not true for attitudes towards foreign nationals, suggesting different underlying factors. Ben Roberts spoke to Andrea Teagle about the HSRC's South African Social Attitudes Survey series, and what these trends mean for the state of the country.

South Africans' social views: 'the real state-of-the-nation indicators?

Key Points

Abstract

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider